Vault and sidewalk light



H. HAINES.

' VAULT AND SIDEWALK LIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY7,1920.

1,361,720; A Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

UNITED STATES HEN'BY HAINES, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

VAULT AND SIDEWALK LIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. '7, 1920.

Application filed May 7, 1920. Serial No. 379,542.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY HAINES, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vault and Sidewalk Lights; and I do declare the following' to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specilication.

My invention relates to vault and sidewalk lights of the type in which pieces or sections oi: glass or other transparent or translucent material, constituting a lens, are contained within sockets or spaces formed usually in a. metal frame. The object of the invention is to provide such lights with means that will prevent pedestrians slipping on the light, and also to prevent fracture or injury to the individual light-giving pieces or elements contained within the frame. To the 'accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may herelnafter appear the invention consists in the features 'hereinafter particularly described and then sought to be clearly defined by the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing formng a part hereof and in which,

Figure 1 is a vertical section through one of the individual light-giving elements, or lens;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, circular' in Outline;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of one of the light-giving elements, or lens, square in outline;

Fig. 4 is a perspective of one of the nonslipping studs, its elastic base and intermediate Washer, the parts being separated;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 1, with the elastic base of the non-slippin stud without a reinforcing self-containe spring or resilient element.

In the drawing the numeral l designates an individual glass-light or lens of the general type usually contained within one of the sockets or cavities of which a number are usually formed in a metallic frame such as commonly emplo ed in vaults or sidewall; lights. ThlS ight transmitting element or lens may be either circular or square in Outline or of other desred configuration. These vault or side-walk lights not infrequently constitute an element of danger to pedestrans either by reason of a coatng of' ice or snow in the Winter season, or from the surface becoming very smooth and slippery from long and constant use. At times they have been provided with studs or projections to guard against the dangers mentioned. The objection to such constructions hei-etofore has been that these studs form a hard and unyielding surface for the feet of pedestrians walking over the lights, and not infrequently there is a tendency of the studs to fracture the glass lights.` To afford safety :for the pedestrians and guard against the objections mentioned, I provide the lens or glass lights, of which one is designated by the numeral 1, with a socket or cavty 2 the bottom of which is preferably inclined from its walls to its center, and in this socket or cavity is placed an elastic filler or ferrule 3 for-med with a central bore 4: to receive the sten 5 of a stud 6 whose top is preferably beveled from the center to its periphery. T he top of this stud rests upon the top of the elastie filler so that when the stud is stepped upon the elasticfiller yelds and constitutes a cushion for the stud so that a yielding nonslipping safety stud is aflorded for the feet of the pedestrians walking over the vault or sidewalk light made up of a number of these individual light transmitting elements. The elastic cushion or base thus provided for the individual lights also serves to prevent fraeture or injury to the vault light in the event of any heavy object being thrown or dumped onto the light. I prefer to insert a Washer 7, preferably of non-corrodible metal, between the under face of the top or head of the safety stud and the elastic cushion contained within the socket or cavity of the glass light, although the same is not absolutely essential. I also prefer to have a spiral spring 8 or other spring strand or strip embedded within the elastic cushion or filler as illustrated in Fig, 1 as the same will tend to prolong the life of the elastic filler and also assist in the prompt return of the cushion or filler to its normal position after pressure on the safety stud is removed. This embedded spring reinforce however may be omitted as indicated in Fig. 5 of the drawing. i

I have illustrated and described the preterre@ oi-n of the invention but changes can be made therein without depatng from the. essential features of the inventon.

Having described ny invention and set t'orth its nei'its What I claim is:

1. The venit-light lens formed With a entity, an elastic fiiier in the cavity, and a safety stud resting upon the eiastic filier which s rves :is a cushion for the stud.

2. T he venit-light lens forme& With :L czn 'ity, an elastc fille' in the eavty and forned With central bore, and a safety stud fo'ined with a stem tting the bore of the elastie fiiier.

3. The venit-light lens forned with ;i cavity, an ehstie fiHer in the eavty and. formed with a central bore, and a safety stud fo'ned With a sten tting the cavty and having :i beveled head supe'imposed on the einstio filler.

i k. The venit-light iens forned With a ezvity, an elaste lle' for the cwity provided With a' 'enforeing resilient strand, and u safety stud resting upon the elastc fiiier which serves as e eushon for the stud.

5. The vault-light lens forned with a cavity, ztn elastie filler in the ezwty and formed With a centi-21 1 bore, a safety stud formed With a stern fittng the cavity and hzwing a. beveled head supe'imposed on the eiastic filler, and a hearing Washer interposed between the elastie filter and head of the stud.

In testimony whereof I afiix ny signature in presence of tWo witnesses.

HENRY HAINES.

witnesses O. R. oon, FRED W. FRY. 

